updated 01:05 pm EDT, Sat October 22, 2011

Steve Jobs biography said well structured, honest

One of the first pre-release reviews of Walter Isaacson's official biography of Steve Jobs has given it compliments for its treatment of the subject. The book seen by the New York Times aims to be the "biography of record" and is seen as a well-structured, though not lean, look at the span of Jobs' life. It "greatly admires" the subject, but it also gives the full breadth of Jobs' experience, from his relationship with those he knew to properly recreating the "passion and excitement" that followed key launches like the iPod.

The title is evocative of the eras it covers and gives insight into what led to a product, including the cross-disciplinary leaps that showed appreciation for more than just technology.

The study also isn't uncritical of Jobs, reflecting a promise Jobs made that he wouldn't influence the contents of the book besides its cover. Apple's co-founder is frequently characterized as "obnoxious" and as having a two-sided personality. He had a "Zen awareness" and appreciated concepts of beauty and simplicity that others didn't, but he could also cut deep with personal and professional criticism, according to the overview.

Isaacson's book comes across as initially odd as it had Jobs referring to his life in the past tense, knowing he would soon die, and was coming less than a month after his actual death. The tone, however, also allowed for opportunities to discuss regrets, such as initially refusing surgery in a delay that may have affected his lifespan.

In the end, the newspaper said, Isaacson's style does its best to mirror the philosophy of Jobs himself, being "clear, elegant, and concise" and largely reaching its mark.